May 14, 2008

a little less conversation.

gap has been previously been categorized as a preppy store; one that provided their general consumers - consisting of middle aged women, young children, country club members, etc. - with classic garb, completed with crisp lines and clean colours. a stereotypical yuppie uniform, to be blunt.
what was versatile to one, was bland to another.
in april of last year, gap attempted to eliminate this unspoken barrier between themselves and the fashion crowd by collaborating with talented young designers doo-ri chung, thakoon panichgul, and the mulleavy sisters.
each one reinvented the traditonal white shirt, injecting fresh panache to the label, and inadvertently (or perhaps not) bestowing credibility upon gap.
this time around, gap has returned with phillip lim, michael bastien, threeasfour, philip crangi, and band of outsiders as their artillery.

but that's not all they've amassed.

[shalom harlow in barbara kruger, stephanie seymour in jeff koons, marilyn minter]
photo from nitrolicious

enter renowned artists jeff koons, marilyn minter, chuck close and the like; they're set to create tshirts featuring their spectacular art, and gap will sell them.
my favourite would have to be the jeff koons shirt, as modeled by stephanie seymour.

gap: i believe this is called a comeback.

x.
jessica

12 comments:

Amelia said...

I think Gap's attempts at becoming fashion-y are doomed. They're just going to lose the customers that go in for preppy basics and they probably aren't going to get very many new customers because of their preconceived notions about the Gap. I think they should just stick to basics. Personally, I'm not very into those shirts. Interesting post, though.

LBIC said...

I like the Jeff Koons one as well.

roxanne said...

definite comeback.

i remember reading an article a few years back about how the gap was going to go under soon because they had simply lost their consumer appeal.

these new collections are orchestrated in such a way that they create a definite buzz among those that follow fashion, but if you go into their stores, they still maintain the 'gap aesthetic' that they're known for, managing to draw in new customers while still appealing to the older ones.

a win-win situation if i ever saw one, and it's only a matter of time before i give in and add a little gap to my wardrobe.

Kira Aderne said...

it´s awsome!

a kiss!

Style On Track said...

AWESOME POST! i love it

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Isabel said...

Gap trying to be hardcore? This is weird..

I did love 3.1 Phillip Lim's white shirt, though.

Victoire said...

Maybe they don't get this stuff in Ottawa or something, cos each time I go in the Gap there to find the products of these collabos, I don't see them and the rest is just too depressing for words. The lighting at the Rideau location seems particularly off.

I dunno, I feel like fewer and fewer people shop at the Gap, and I would be surprised if they were still around in 10 years. Gap isn't cheap, or trend-focused, so they can't compete with "fast-fashion" giants like H&M. And for people looking for preppy basics, I think people are increasingly prone to invest in more high-quality basics that actually fit well and won't lose their shape after a few months.

Fashion Addict said...

I've actually never card much about GAP, but that's mainly because I barely go shopping! But it's great to know that they are striving harder to keep their line fashionable.

BTW, love the banner! It's just so colorful and has the best models! I would like to do a link exchange with you, so please contact me later if you would like to as well...

Ella Gregory said...

I have always liked GAP
I think it is a good store for basics
Not sure how I feel about these tee's, but I love that they do stuff for good causes!

Héloïse J. said...

the one stephanie is wearing is indeed a coll t-shirt. it kind of reminds me the martin margiella ones. kind of! i would definitely buy it.

:)

Liz Lizo said...

I totally applaud gap for revamping their look.